Port of Montréal launches new container terminal

The Port of Montréal, located along the St. Lawrence River, launched its new container terminal Friday, boosting the port’s handling capacity by 450,000 TEUs.    The Port of Montréal’s new container terminal in the Viau sector was inaugurated Friday, the Montréal Port Authority reported.
   The Canadian port is situated along the St. Lawrence River, and according to BlueWater Reporting, the port is frequented by seven fully cellular container services.
   The new terminal will boost the port’s handling capacity by 450,000 TEUs. Once the second phase of work is completed at the terminal in the years to come, total handling capacity in the Viau sector will reach 600,000 TEUs, boosting the port’s overall handling capacity to 2.1 million TEUs.
   The Port of Montréal said the construction of the new terminal is part of a larger capacity optimization project at the port, covering three essential areas: the terminal’s container-handling capacity, marine access and road access.
   The Canadian government is contributing one-third of the eligible funding for all three project components to a maximum of $43.7 million under the National Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Fund.
   Of this amount, up to $27.2 million is available to fund the container terminal, while the remainder of will be attributed to the project’s other two components.
   Montréal Port Authority President and CEO Sylvie Vachon said, the new Viau terminal will benefit the region, province and entire country, “with annual spinoffs of $340 million and the creation of 2,500 direct and indirect jobs.” Vachon added, “The success of this project is the result of a significant collaboration between public and private organizations, including Termont Montréal Inc. and Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. Moreover, the work was carried out with concern for communities and the environment. There is much to be proud of!”